Kayak Love

Illinois · river

Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville

USGS monitoring location. Launch access and paddling suitability have not been verified.

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

95

Favorable weather

Weather score out of 100

Weather only. This is a monitoring station, not a verified launch. Access, hazards and suitable flow are unknown.

Weather observation: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:15:00 GMT.

River observation: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT.

Page checked: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:18:49 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — USACE Shelbyville Dam and Lake.jpg by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown, Public domain. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

9 mph

gusting to 17 mph

Air temp

69°F

3% chance of rain

River flow

64.3 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Tuesday · 90

  • Thu

    45

  • Fri

    56

  • Sat

    85

  • Sun

    86

  • Mon

    86

  • Tue

    90

    Best

  • Wed

    89

Compares forecast wind, air temperature and rain. Does not assess river flow, swell, currents, water temperature or launch access. All times are local to this location.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
7a917
8a919
9a1126
10a1429
11a1424
12p1421
1p1421
2p1622
3p1623
4p1624
5p918
6p711

Is this flow normal for October 1?

Today's 64.3 cfs is 84% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 35 cfs, across 56 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind — 9 mph — moderate wind at the forecast location-5

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, and uses available public readings. We haven't verified where to put in, what the hazards are, or whether this stretch is legal or sensible to paddle. We'd rather say that than invent it. The links below are where to find out.

We also don't have a verified safe-flow range here, so the Paddle Score reflects weather only. Judge the flow number against local knowledge, not against our score.

Do your own homework

We show you live conditions. For local knowledge — where to put in, what the hazards are, whether it's worth the drive — here's where paddlers actually talk about this water. We don't vet these sources; check the dates and judge for yourself.

Nearby water

All paddling spots in Illinois →